Understanding Postmodernism: Fredric Jameson

These flashcards outline key vocabulary and concepts related to Fredric Jameson's exploration of postmodernism, addressing its cultural, social, and aesthetic dimensions.

Inverted Millennarianism

A concept where expectations of future catastrophes or redemptions are replaced by a focus on endings, such as the end of ideologies and classes, which characterizes postmodernism.

Coupure

A radical break or discontinuity, often referring to changes in cultural, ideological, or artistic paradigms, specifically related to postmodernism.

Postmodernism

A cultural movement characterized by a break from modernist principles, encompassing shifts in art, literature, and social theory, often described as marked by a blending of high and popular culture.

Aesthetic Populism

A trend in postmodern architecture and art where the critique of high modernism is coupled with a popular approach to architectural design and aesthetic value.

Learning from Las Vegas

An influential manifesto by Robert Venturi that critiques modernist architecture and advocates for an embrace of commercial aesthetics and styles.

Culture Industry

The commodification of culture where cultural products are produced for mass consumption, often negating originality and depth in favor of profit.

Post-Industrial Society

A societal framework characterized by the shift from industrial production to service-oriented economies, often highlighted in discussions about postmodernism.

Depthlessness

A term describing the lack of depth in cultural products and experiences, marking a shift away from the historicity and emotional depth found in high modernism.

Syntagma

A linguistic term referring to a set of elements that can be combined in sequences, which in postmodern context delineates new ways of structuring narratives and artworks.

Pastiche

An artistic work that imitates the style of previous works, distinguished from parody by its lack of critique and its neutral approach to imitation.

Simulacrum

An imitation or representation of something; in postmodernism, it refers to a copy with no original, often critiqued as leading to a culture of images lacking authentic connections to reality.

Cognitive Mapping

The process of perceiving one's position within a broader cultural or social context, significant in discussions of how individuals navigate the complexities of postmodern life.

Hysterical Sublime

A term that fuses the experience of terror with aesthetic pleasure, exploring how postmodern art engages with overwhelming feelings in a commodified society.

Fragmentation

The process through which coherent narratives are broken into disparate parts, a hallmark of postmodern literature and art, reflecting a shift in societal perceptions.

Intensities

Emotional experiences in postmodern culture that are less about individual feelings and more about collective sensations or affective states.

Textuality

The quality of being text, where meaning is created through the interplay of various signifiers, prevalent in postmodern art and literature.

Aesthetic Representation

The manner in which art conveys meaning through its form and aesthetics, especially in the context of late capitalist society.